Search

Behavioral theories of depression posit that depression results from the environment not adequately reinforcing non-depressive behaviors. One commonly used treatment based on the behavioral model of depression is Behavioral Activation. While many implementations of Behavioral Activation emphasize social interactions, there is limited empirical investigation into the contribution of specific facets of social engagement in the behavioral model of depression. Fear of intimacy, an indicator of willingness to engage in specific types of social interactions, may play an important role in understanding at a functional level what aspects of social engagement are important in behavioral activation. The current study (N = 353) proposes a model, anchored in functional outcomes of behavioral interactions, to explain the development and utilization of social support as environmental enrichment. The proposed model accounted for 55% of the variance of depressive symptoms. Findings were consistent with a model where fear of intimacy was directly and indirectly associated with depression via activation, social support, and environmental enrichment. Notably, social support was not directly associated with depression. Findings suggest the importance of incorporating vulnerable self-disclosure in behavioral activation treatments to foster environmental enrichment.

High quality relationships are essential to psychological health and well-being, and relational intimacy is a core feature of these relationships. Decades of research in relationship science have converged on a central model of intimacy wherein individuals develop close, trusting relationships with one another. Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) is a contextual behavioral intervention approach that is well-equipped to target interpersonal processes through the provision of in-session, therapist mediated reinforcement of skillful intimate relating. Single-subject level analyses of FAP's efficacy and mechanism of action are supportive; however, there is a need for group-level research to evaluate its efficacy and generalizability. This paper presents the development of the Awareness, Courage, and Responsiveness Scale (ACRS), a self-report measure of behaviors essential to intimate relating informed by contextual behavioral science principles and Reis and Shaver's (1988) Intimacy Process Model. In this five-part study, functioning of the ACRS is examined in undergraduate student samples (Studies 1–3), an adult community sample (Study 3), non-clinical dyadic relationships (Study 4), and a transdiagnostic clinical sample (Study 5). Strengths and limitations of the final measure are discussed.

The problem of alcohol-involved sexual assault against women highlights the need to identify how the presence of alcohol interacts with risk factors associated with sexual assault perpetration. One risk factor for sexual assault perpetration is fear of intimacy, the inhibited capacity to exchange vulnerable thoughts and emotions with a valued individual. Men who have perpetrated sexual violence report higher fear of intimacy and alcohol use than those who have not. However, little research has investigated how fear of intimacy may contribute to sexual assault perpetration in the context of alcohol intoxication. This study examined alcohol intoxication, fear of intimacy, proximal power-related emotions, and nonconsensual sex intentions. Non-monogamous, male social drinkers ( N = 94) completed measures and were randomly assigned to an alcohol condition (alcohol [BrAC = .10%] versus control). Participants then read a sexual assault analogue scenario depicting sexual assault against a hypothetical woman and reported power-related emotions and nonconsensual sex intentions. Self-reported fear of intimacy differed across types of past perpetration. Results found that for intoxicated men only, fear of intimacy was positively associated with power-related emotions, and power-related emotions were positively associated with nonconsensual sex intentions. These associations were not observed for men in the control condition who did not consume alcohol. Future research should examine intimacy-related interventions for sexual assault prevention programming.

The interpersonal process model (IPM) suggests that closeness develops in relationships when two people reciprocally engage in vulnerable self-disclosure, respond to each other, and perceive each other’s responses as validating, understanding, and caring (responsive). Little is known about how fear-of-intimacy relates to this foundational intimacy process. We conducted two studies of fear-of-intimacy and the IPM. In Study 1, 146 high fear-of-intimacy participants were randomly assigned to either interact for 1 hr with a research assistant (RA) demonstrating high responsiveness, to interact for 1 hr with an RA displaying low responsiveness, or to view a nature video for 1 hr. Unlike previous experiments with undergraduates documenting that high responsiveness predicts closeness up to 2 weeks after the interaction, the current study with high fear-of-intimacy individuals found that high responsiveness predicted closeness immediately after the interaction but this was not sustained over time. In Study 2, we conducted structural modeling in a diverse sample of 216 survey respondents with a range of fear-of-intimacy scores. Consistent with previous studies, perceived responsiveness strongly predicted closeness. Fear-of-intimacy had negative direct effects on vulnerable self-disclosure and perceived responsiveness but a positive direct effect on closeness.

Behavioral models of depression have theorized that access to positive reinforcement is a key component to the etiology and maintenance of depression. As a result, many treatments for depression such as Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Behavioral Activation emphasize the importance of increased activity and creating an environment where rewards and reinforcement is available. Despite the theoretical underpinnings in depression and the success of these treatments incorporating the constructs, little is known about the relationship between the availability of environmental rewards and activation as it relates to depression. To address this gap in knowledge, a cross-sectional survey was administered to 409 undergraduate students at a medium-sized, Hispanic-Serving institute. Consistent with behavioral models of depression, the findings provided support for the contribution of an enriched environment as well as behavioral activation on depression. The findings indicate that the role of activation changes based on the level of environmental reward that is available. When taken together, the availability of environmental reward and activation accounted for a large amount of the variance of depression indicating support for behavioral models of depression.

The US has never been more divided politically. Polarization is notable on majority-liberal college campuses where conservatives feel outnumbered and marginalized. In this study, we examined the effectiveness of a half-day workshop to decrease polarization and improve closeness between conservatives and liberals at a majority-liberal college campus. Informed by political psychology and relationship science, the intervention employed exercises derived from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Functional Analytic Psychotherapy to encourage identification of core beliefs and vulnerable discussions of deeper reasons for core political beliefs aimed at generating closeness and understanding between participants. Participants (N = 20) were assigned to 2 groups: one of mixed conservatives and liberals, and one of all liberals. All participants reported improvements in attitudes and hostility towards outgroup members from pre- to post-workshop, but only differences in relations with specific outgroup workshop participants were maintained at 1-month follow-up. Participants also reported arguing less than expected.

Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP; Kohlenberg & Tsai, 1991) is a transdiagnostic approach to outpatient psychotherapy that presented guidelines to instantiate the behavioral principle of natural, social reinforcement applied to idiographic behavioral targets within a genuine and authentic psychotherapy relationship. We present the first comprehensive review of research on FAP, including qualitative studies, uncontrolled and controlled single-case designs, group designs, and studies on training therapists in FAP. We conclude that current research support for FAP is promising but not sufficient to justify claims that FAP is research-supported for specific psychiatric disorders. There is stronger support for FAP's mechanism of therapist-as-social reinforcer: FAP techniques, when appropriately applied to idiographically defined behavioral problems-primarily in the realm of social functioning-produce positive change in those behaviors.

The use of idiographically defined target behaviors in Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) has limited participation in a reticulated model of treatment development. One way to address this limitation is to offer a standardized set of clinical targets for FAP. The current study details a method of identifying standardized treatment targets in FAP using the Awareness, Courage, and Love (ACL) model. The applicability of the model was assessed by evaluating the degree to which previously identified clinical targets in FAP research correspond with the proposed specific categories of the ACL model. There is an 83.67% fit between past idiographic targets and current standardized targets. We discuss how ACL may be clinically useful and encourage more integrative treatment development for FAP.

Two common types of clinical errors, inadvertently reinforcing client problem behaviors or inadvertently punishing client improvements, are conceptualized from the viewpoint of Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP), a treatment that harnesses the power of the therapeutic relationship. Understanding the functions of client behaviors such as incessant talking and over compliance can lead to more compassionate and effective intervention, and a functional analysis of seemingly problematic behaviors such as silence and lack of cooperation indicate how they may be client improvements. Suggestions are provided for how to more accurately conceptualize whether client behaviors are problems or improvements, and to increase awareness of therapist vulnerabilities that can lead to errors. While FAP is rooted in a functional contextual philosophy, the goal of this article is to offer a framework that crosses theoretical boundaries to decrease the likelihood of clinical errors and to facilitate client growth. (PsycINFO Database Record

Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) is a contextual behavioral psychotherapy approach in which client behavior is shaped in the psychotherapy relationship and then generalized to out-of-session contexts. Efforts to train therapists in FAP have employed a parallel process, attempting to shape trainee behavior in an 8-week, live, online course in which trainees interact with each other in a series of experiential exercises. Previous research on the effects of this FAP training protocol have been hampered by reliance on trainee self-report and a lack of objective assessment of trainee behavior in actual sessions. In the current study, we developed and piloted an objective measure of FAP competency and employed it to assess outcomes in a FAP training study. Sixteen participants with a range of previous FAP training experiences were randomly assigned to an immediate FAP training or a waitlist-then-training group. Trainee self-report findings largely replicated findings from the previous study (Kanter, Tsai, Holman, & Koerner, 2012), with larger and more consistent effects found for trainees with fewer previous FAP training experiences. Objective assessment of in-session trainee behavior with the FAP Competency Scale suggested a significant effect of training, but these results were limited by missing data. These findings provide preliminary support for the hypothesis that engaging in a FAP training that functionally parallels the therapy process can enhance FAP therapist in-session competency.

Treatments targeting social connectedness have the potential to address a significant public health concern. Functional analytic psychotherapy (FAP) is based on a behavioral interpretation of how the therapeutic relationship can serve as a significant agent of change. Examine the efficacy of FAP com

Functional analytic psychotherapy (FAP) is based on the notion that because the therapeutic relationship is an interpersonal one, it will share some functional similarities with other relationships. When client responses that are problematic or adaptive in daily life occur in the therapy session, th